An official cause and manner of death has been revealed for 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera, who passed away last year after falling 17 floors from an Austin apartment balcony.
According to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, Aguilera died by suicide, caused by blunt force trauma, a copy of the autopsy obtained by the Austin American-Statesmen revealed.
“It is my opinion that the cause of death is blunt trauma,” Deputy Medical Examiner Leticia Schuman, MD, stated in the report.
“There was no indication based on law enforcement investigation that another individual was involved in the incident which resulted in the decedent’s death.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Aguilera fell from the balcony of a student apartment building near the University of Texas, at 2101 Rio Grande Street, on November 29.
Toxicology results indicated that Aguilera had alcohol in her system,”twice the legal limit,” The Dallas News reports. She also had Delta 8 in her urine.
Following the incident, Austin police labeled Aguilera’s death a suicide before autopsy results were available, prompting a lawsuit filed on behalf of her family, who believe she possibly died from foul play.
The family’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, stated during a January press conference that he believed Austin PD’s investigation had been lacking.
APD’s lead detective, Robert Marshall, stated that that Aguilera had made mention of self-harm to friends and wrote, then deleted, a digital suicide note on her phone
Buzbee denied the purported note, calling it “total malarkey.” He also claimed that it wasn’t possible for Aguilera, given her height, to fall over the balcony’s railing volubntarily.
“We know how tall Brianna was. She was 5’2. The railing’s 44 inches. You don’t fall over it. There’s no, there’s no furniture on in the balcony. There’s nothing to climb up on to jump off.”
The autopsy report, however, indicated that there had been no evidence of another person involved in the fall.
“It is unlikely that the decedent accidentally fell over the railing. As such, and with review and consideration of all available materials including autopsy findings, toxicology results, as well as scene and law enforcement investigation, the manner of death is best classified as suicide,” the report reads.
Meanwhile, Buzbee, along with Gamez Law Firm, continue to conduct their own investigation into Aguilera’s death.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Instagram]